Bolt for a muzzle-loaded rifle

Abstract

An improved bolt for a muzzle-loaded rifle of the kind in which a firing system is a aligned with the axis of a barrel, the bolt consisting of a cylindrical body housing including therewithin a biasing spring and a firing pin. The firing pin is permanently connected to a cylindrical retaining or a sear member having a prismatic-rectangular projetion emerging through an opening provided in the cylindrical body. The projection is acted on by a catch of the firing system, and the bolt mounted to turn and slide on a receiver attached to the rear of the barrel, having an inner wall provided with a central bore for the passage of the rear end of the firing pin. The inner wall supports the biasing spring. The rifle is cocked by sliding a handle attached to the cylindrical body forward, thereby the cylindrical body moves forward and compresses the biasing spring between the firing pin and the inner wall, the sear member and consequently the firing pin being retained by the catch which acts against the front edge of the sear member, and the firing pin being released when the catch is set loose when a trigger is pulled.

I claim: 
     
       1. An improved bolt for a muzzle-loaded rifle of the kind in which a firing system is aligned with the axis of a barrel (3), the bolt consisting of a cylindrical body (1) housing including therewithin a biasing spring (5) and a firing pin (4), wherein the firing pin (4) is permanently connected to a sear member (9) having a prismatic-rectangular projection (12) emerging through an opening (14) provided in the cylindrical body (1), wherein the projection is acted on by a catch (6) of the firing system, and the bolt mounted to turn and slide on a receiver (2) attached to the rear of the barrel (3), having an inner wall (16) provided with a central bore for the passage of the rear end of the firing pin (4), the inner wall supports the biasing spring (5), wherein the rifle is cocked by sliding a handle (8) attached to the cylindrical body (1) forward, thereby the cylindrical body (1) moves forward and compresses the biasing spring (5) between the firing pin (4) and the inner wall (16), the sear member (9) and consequently said firing pin (4) being retained by the catch (6) which acts against the front edge of the sear member (9), and the firing pin (4) being released when the catch (6) is set loose when a trigger (7) is pulled and the projection (12) on the sear member (9) slides inside a groove provided on the receiver (2), which gives the sear member (9) forward and backward motion. 
     
     
       2. An improved bolt for a muzzle-loaded rifle, as in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body (1) is provided with a flat faceting (10), after the opening (14), defining a small transverse ledge (15) which, when the cylindrical body (1) is drawn back, collides with the catch (6), preventing the bolt from being removed, and therefore in order for the bolt to be fully removed, the trigger (7) is pulled for rotating the handle (8) attached to the cylindrical body (1), wherein the rotation of the handle (8) attached to cylindrical body (1) causes the faceting (10) to be rotated and hence the lateral edge of the faceting (10) pushes the catch (6), setting it loose and allowing the bolt to be fully removed. 
     
     
       3. An improved bolt for a muzzle-loaded rifle, as in claim 1, wherein when the bolt is drawn back to subsequently cock the rifle, the handle (8) attached to the cylindrical body (1), contacts with a safety lever (11), pushing it to a safety position of the rifle. 
     
     
       4. An improved bolt for a muzzle-loaded rifle in which a firing system is aligned with the axis of a barrel, wherein a bolt consisting of a cylindrical body housing including therewithin a biasing spring and a firing pin, wherein the firing pin is permanently connected to a sear member having a prismatic rectangular projection emerging through an opening provided in the cylindrical body, the edges of the opening restricting rotation of the cylindrical body with respect to the sear member, wherein the sear member is acted on by a catch of the firing system, the rifle being cocked by pushing the bolt forward which includes compressing the biasing spring between the firing pin and a wall inside the cylindrical body, the firing pin being retained by the catch which acts on the front edge of the sear member, and the firing pin being released when the catch is set loose when a trigger is pulled, wherein the cylindrical body is provided with a flat faceting, after the opening, defining a small transverse ledge which, when the cylindrical body is drawn back, collides with the catch, preventing the bolt from being removed, and therefore in order for the bolt to be fully removed, the trigger is pulled for rotating a handle attached to the cylindrical body wherein the rotation of the handle attached to the cylindrical body causes the faceting to be rotated and hence the lateral edge of the faceting pushes the catch setting it loose and allowing the bolt to be fully removed and the projection on the sear member slides inside a groove provided on the receiver, which guides the sear member forward and backward motion.